New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-09
CONDITION OF THE NAVY.
srcRErARY VIII rNEYs ANNUAL REPORT.


,,oGREss REPORTED IN NAVAL MANUFACTURE
THE TENNESSEE - SUBMARINE BoATS-PNEU-
MATIC GUNs-NAvAL PROGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Dec S.-The annual report OF the Secre-
,arv of the Navy opens with brief reference to the
progress that has teen made IN constructing works for
the manufacture in this country of heavy guns
and other requisites OF modern navy. The Navy De-
partment in the summer of 1856, au experiment,
consolidated advertisement all OF its requirements
for armor and gun steel for ships OF then author
izpa STIMULATING that 1t should be of domestic mandfac
ture and giving average of two and half years In
which to produce and deliver it, which covered the time
necessary the procurement of plant The interest
awakened resulted, when the bids were opesei in a
contract with the Bethlehem Iron Company. under
which plant for the production Of and gun steel
"a being erected at Bethlehem. PENN second to in
the world believed The efforts of the Department
we're generously seconded by the Naval Appropriations
committees of the two Houses the OF 81 600 600
having been inserted in the appropriation for
purpose indicated.
II il also gratifying" continues the Secretary to
repolt that the representatives OF the otckiss
many have ascertaned that with the superior tools
nse in this country In the manufacture arms. the
secondary batteries OF ships be made here and
At prces less than have paid for the foreign made
arms and as low they produced there for any
foreign Government In like manner the contracts for
srmor and gun steel made at prices within % per
cent of the European price for the similar article
greater than the difference In labor between the two
countries Notwithstanding the heavy outlay for plant
ESTIMATED at $500 0OO) necessary to be made to under
take the These gratifying results have been
greatly stimulated by the shpbuiing interest of the
country. is believed that private shipyarls
produce ships equal and perhaps superior to those
produced elsewhere when these industries shall have
been established
Thenfonsws detailed list OF the vessels author
lied by Congress to he built AM the bids therefor and
Tho of aSt
IN which torpedo brats figure prominently. If one
should nr,' says Mr. Whitney the results of the
naval of the last year two ana admit the
st consequences of the facts developed trials
would be admitted that tie range Of usefulness Of the
GnprC tected torpedo boat is certainly very limited.
When they he they he easily destroyed by
machine and rapid fire guns. This rules ont all day
fighting No fleet has for years In its manHuvreS wasted
time experimenting with the of torpedo boats in day
fighting. The electric search light has, Judged ~ the
later trials made their usefulness at night extremely
doubtful. They Of value only upon occasions when
they are invisible to enemy, Such occasions are
rare The smoke Of battle might conceal them ana for
a nation having large classes OF fighting ships they
might prove convenience but that Is situation
at present Now ard then an unusual night, dark and
foggy would impair the efficiency OF the electric search
light ana occasion favorable for these boats be pre-
scntei But The statement the fact that they
value only upon aud accidental occasions should
Nule them reliable weapon for coast ami harbor
defence.
The foregoing observations only shift the problem
little. The weapon carried by the torpedo boat is the
most destructive known TorpedOes proiectIes of all
kinds containing hi sii explosives incomPara5y the
nost powerful known The abandonment OF the unpro-
.ectei boat does not Involve the abandonment OF the
roectile. The facts concerning the unprotected torpedo
boat yet been generally formulated into the
conclusions above stated careful study of the facts
has brought about settled conviction upon the subject
when will govern the action Of this Department.
- In what way then. shall the high explosive pro &C.
tiles be carried TO certainly reach the object OF
attack in spite OF machine AMI ralid fire guns One
method possibly taking practical shape IL That or
the submarine In order to ascertain whether any
known and certain results have yet been reached IN tho
progress Of this branch OF the art the Department has
with all of the Chief OF the Bureau OF Ordnance
prepared an Advertisement. inviting all persons who offer
10 cuarapiec the results of their work 10 submit pro
posas to the Department upon the first OF March
next reasonably certain that boats entirely sub
merged Except turre small aud protected against
machine gun fro, practicable The pneumatic dyna-
mite Ia weapon claiming consideration in this con
nection. II these various devices fail protected boats
can be built OF small tonnage. OF light draugEt, PROOF
against machine gun dre"
THE TENNESSEE.
After stating that lie has decided TO suspend work on
the ship Hartford and allow the matter to be resub
mitted Congress the Secretary speaks follows OF
the Tennessee which dropped from the Navy
Register and sold during the last year:
The history of this vessel is quite interesting and
most illustrative She had a short life but a con-
sumner money, brilliant one Her lau was bl't ana
.he was equipped in the New-lOrk Navy Yard Her
machinery was dei yed and built under contract by the
Her total original cost was $l.s56,o75 81; Upon her
trial trip in January le61, she ran about lUUo M ni9
knots per hour for four hours she encountered pef
ens storm described as a hurricane. winch continued
over twenty hours The ship suffered considerably
Two years afterwlrd she underwent what was ctliel
"rerars." and the sam OF $o16I9o 81 was spent upon
her. all but $4,000 OF THIS was put on her hull ana
equipment. 1t The full price OF new wooden Ali
Of her time. This from $50 10 ISL
She then made cruise OF three months and went INTO
the hands OF Mr. John Roach 10 enabe him TO take out
the machinery and boiers OF John Ericsson ana shost
tute others superior character II among other
tWenty-four honrs When hai her trial Of tAs new
machinery in 1875 her maximum speed was 10 81
SsOl 7l3 IN addition to the value Of her machinery
amt boilers taken h, IN cG p'' 500 So 1ad not been IN
actual service months; hal never been surveyor am
coniemned BIZ a board OF Government officers, nor It's
value xed by Government board but II vas sud 10
Mr. Roach Old iron hat i 10 saw between 80 an"
1875 the Tennessee had hal thee month: serve ant
had cost repairs AMI improvements -li4514] IL
Ihis largely in excess OF far price pr ne" sP
Tyyeye wears afterward April 4. 1857 she is con.
deuined by the Statutory Board as unseawohy anu hn1
worth repairing and ordered sold having h.i pI, upon
her betwecn SO and lssa -, tie a az i ,'
tbe had cost the Government 3,-oUOJo IN rom mum
bers and bad done about ten years OF active serce OUT
iect of wonder what has become OF the S7O0Oe.o0o
srent upon war ressels since the close OK tt war N
history Will serve as an Illustration.
TIE PM UMATIC GUN.
The pneumatic dynamite gin," continues MT "hit-
ney has been developed by private enterprise 10 the
point where It immediate attention Inc com
many has demonstrated by the use OF pneumatic
mower projectiles containing large quantities OF hiRh
can he fred with safety and cOnhdeab le
accuracy "a distance OF between one ana TWO ni!er
Wi,tcvrr destruction torpedo can 10 ths pojectIo
can 40 If accurately placed For coast aid haroo ne
fence 10 be fired from land batteries lie accuracy ~
established.
pcnf. of difficulty intervene However, thc PIopieh5
10 he solved to make IL thoroughly sncceSsiu Ior n
purnnfc. are receiving the uiOst Jealous ana persistent
study and II il believed By those interested u,at III ne
ali will he worked out This developer 10 us present
r"nt excnsiycly M this country and leg private enter
PRISE promises to he the most notable event VI 'ne
year"